Return To Halloween Town
by Death101- Fox Version
Summary: Holid#4 ONESHOT They had given up hope for a normal Christmas and as they had expected the holidays returned to get them once again. But not in the way any of the holiday trio expected. DBZ YYH YGO Nonyaoi Rated PG-13 on the safe side. PG on the slack side.


_Disclaimer: I am not Kazuki Takahashi, Yoshihiro Togashi, Akira Toriyama, or Tim Burton. I am Death 101 – Fox Version and as such own the plot and my original character but I am not writing this for profit unless amusement is now a unit of currency._

**We wish you a Merry Christmas  
>We wish you a good time<br>We wish you a season's greeting  
>So please enjoy this story of mine<br>-Death 101 – Fox Version**

**Return to Halloween Town**

**S**omething had possessed him. That was the only explanation Kaiba had come up with and there were no other logical explanations for what had occurred. First his office was covered in red and green streamers, holly, and tinsel. Second he was forced into wearing a stupid elf hat and third, he was standing in the doorway with his secretary and had been for the past twenty seconds. The only way this could have occurred was that he was possessed when he gave Takahashi permission to decorate the office. He refused to believe that he had willingly and in sound mind played along with her little game. She had either distracted him or he had been possessed. Most likely by Satan.

She was watching him as they stood in the open doorway. Apparently she had lost a bet with her friends and was forced to wear some holiday themed dress. While the long sleeved red dress and Santa hat nicely contrasted with her green eyes and black hair, he still deeply wished she had completely forgotten his giving his approval to decorate the office for Christmas the day before she left for holidays. Once again, he must have been possessed!

"I'm going to be in Canada visiting Akio and you're going to need a reminder to go home and spend time with Mokuba since I won't be around to remind you," she explained as she pitched her idea.

At the time, Kaiba had made a mental note to never refer her to marketing and replied. "Unless something disastrous happens and you need to return to Japan before your holidays are up."

"Like you getting kidnapped again?"

He had turned to his computer without another word. After a few seconds, Takahashi apologized and he nodded and she returned to her work. Minutes later he emailed her the approval.

The routine was a familiar but still a fairly new one. It would start with either he or Takahashi passing some unspoken line. If she passed it, she would sometimes apologize and return to her work. If he passed it, she would return to her work in a huff. In either case they would awkwardly avoid each other for the next hour before some pressing disaster occurred and they would take care of it. Once the disaster had been averted they would be back to normal until they crossed the line again. At first it only happened every blue moon. Now it seemed like every week they were pushing each other.

He supposed that was part of the reason he had— he didn't fight against the possession as well as he could have when he approved her wish to decorate. It made her happy and it would make the place less gloomy while she was in Canada for her holidays and yes. He was actually mature enough to admit he would miss her because doing through the Christmas files and trying to get his stupid machines to work was _so_ much fun alone.

However, as he stood in the doorway, he badly wanted to smack his past self. If admitting all his past mistakes could have gotten him out of the mess he now found himself in, he would start confessing now.

Mistake number 1: Ever leaving the orphanage with that man.  
>Mistake number 2: Ever returning to Domino.<br>Mistake number 3: Challenging Yugi Motou to a duel and all the following insanity that he claimed to have outgrown.  
>Mistake number 4: Hiring Takahashi as his secretary and not firing her after her first few days.<br>Mistake number 5: Not hiring enough security to stop three creepy vampires from kidnapping him on Halloween a year ago, which lead to a mess he would rather not explain.  
>Mistake number 6: Going after Takahashi when she got kidnapped by that freak on Valentines leading to another bunch of events he'd rather not explain.<br>Mistake number 7: Caving under peer pressure and going to save Takahashi when she was kidnapped by another freak in the middle of the summer.  
>Mistake number 8: Ever considering the idea that Takahashi could decorate.<br>Mistake number 9: Not revoking the approval when he learned what she had planned.

Takahashi bit her lip as she glanced upwards towards the reason for neither of them moving from the doorway. A small plant with white berries that was hanging from the doorframe.

"I think we can just skip the tradition," she said as she handed him the papers she had been carrying.

And this led to mistake number 10. Admitting to himself that he actually wanted to follow tradition.

How could he possibly get out of this one now?

***Return*To*Halloween*Town***

**E**ven saiyans had their limit it appeared. After surviving multiple burns caused by chi blasts, multiple broken bones caused by melee fighting, multiple close calls to Death's door, and multiple adventures at the hands of kidnapping holidays, Trunks felt that he could handle just about anything with his sanity intact. Especially since on his first holiday adventure he had been forced to relieve all his worst memories and experiences in some twisted attempt by Halloween Town people to brainwash him. Since that hadn't managed to crack him, Trunks doubted anything could. Although Christmas shopping with Hercule and Pan came very close.

The purple haired man heaved a sigh as he struggled to follow the high-strung teenager and her aging grandfather through the mall.

"Haven't we gotten enough stuff now?" he asked as he tried not to drop any of the thousands of boxes he was forced into carrying. Okay maybe it wasn't thousands but it was still a lot! Not even his sister Bra would usually buy this much and she was a shopaholic! He could barely see in front of himself.

Beside him, the man who Earth mistakenly called "Her Champion" was also struggling under the weight of the boxes. Unlike Trunks, who had super strength and chi sensing abilities to guide him, Hercule had to reply on luck to avoid crashing into anyone. However, it appeared his luck was more useful than Trunks' chi sensing because Trunks was the one who crashed into a wall while attempting to avoid crashing into one of the many patrons of the mall.

The short, black haired, black eyed teenager paused in her march to glare at Trunks as he pulled himself out from under the many boxes.

"Trunks! If you can't even take carrying these boxes, what are you going to do when you have a girlfriend?"

He smiled nervously. "Not offer to carry her boxes?"

Pan didn't appear to appreciate his answer. Thankfully, before she could tell him so, Hercule spoke up. Although his black afro had disappeared to be replaced by a large bald spot the man appeared unchanged from the moment Trunks first saw him. Even the brown gi was the same.

"Pan," he said. "Your grandpa can't take much more of this."

She huffed and turned on her heel. Trunks and Hercule traded a glance, hoping that they had convinced her to stop shopping. She turned back to look at them.

"Fine. We'll go get some lunch. But afterwards, we will finish the rest of the shopping." She walked off before Hercule or Trunks could reply. As he picked up the boxes that were still sitting on the ground Trunks groaned. What had he done to deserve this?

***Return*To*Halloween*Town***

**A**fter everything that had been through was he being a little too optimistic hoping for a normal Christmas holiday? Even insanity had to take a break, right? After all, sanity disappeared for days on end only to reappear at the weirdest times so why couldn't insanity? Why couldn't this holiday just be normal and happy for them?

As Yusuke stared at the items behind the glass windows, he considered his question. He loved Keiko. Really he did. But he had to wonder why she stuck with him. Ignoring all his personality problems that could fill a novel or at least eighteen graphic novels, she never seemed to be safe when he was around. First there were those times when he was a Spirit Detective but he had thought that after he had quit they could just live in peace and he could fight in the occasional Demon World Tournament. He had been proven horribly wrong.

The Halloween before last Keiko had been mistaken for a small child in a witch costume and taken to this place called "Halloween Town." And it was weird because the little girl's hair was green and her eyes blackish. Keiko was older with brown hair and brown eyes but she still had been kidnapped. He still wasn't completely clear on the details but the most he understood was that three kids dressed as a witch, a skeleton, and a devil had gone missing. Keiko had been mistaken for the witch while two other people were mistaken for the devil and the skeleton. The people of Halloween Town came and dragged them back to the town. Later Yusuke found with the help of Naomi Takahashi and Pan, friends of the other two people. Then the kids were found and everyone went home and lived happily ever after until Valentines of this year.

This time he got kidnapped by this god called Eros AKA Cupid who wanted to collect 'love' for his collection. Because Keiko was his girlfriend, she had to go through these trials to find these special items for Eros to trade for the return of Yusuke. Meanwhile Yusuke was stuck at this creepy temple giving himself a heart attack as he watched Keiko make her way through the trials. Thankfully, Keiko had some backup. Trunks Brief and Seto Kaiba, the other two people who had been kidnapped and taken to Halloween Town who were completing the trials to save Goten, Trunks' friend, and Takahashi, Kaiba's secretary. So as expected Keiko, Trunks, and Kaiba kicked some tail and saved the day. They all went home and lived happily ever after again until the middle of the summer.

Koenma, Yusuke's ex- boss, had gone missing so of course he had to ditch his date with Keiko to find him. The search brought him to America when he ran into— wait for it. Trunks Brief, Goku (friend of Trunks), Naomi Takahashi, and Seto Kaiba. Then he found out the kid Takahashi was babysitting had gone missing so Goku took them back to Japan and they laid a trap for the kidnapper who wanted to add Goku to his collection. The trap failed and Takahashi, Goku, and Keiko had been taken. Trunks and Yusuke went to find the kidnapper who turned out to be Father Time who was trying to save the world in his own way. Kaiba also dropped in eventually and after a quick stop to the Old West and Yusuke barely avoiding being the guest of honour at a necktie party, they made it to Father Time's turf and saved the day. Again. They all went home and lived happily ever after. So far nothing had come along to destroy that ending yet.

During those times, Keiko had been put through a lot more than any girl should have to survive. But she still stuck with him so this year he was determined to get her a good gift for Christmas. He wasn't going to settle for the first thing he saw in the first shop that the shop owners actually let him enter. This year he was going to get her something awesome so they could look back on this day and yes, he wasn't a complete screw up after all. Unfortunately that meant going through store after store, day after day, until he found something and he was running out of time. Christmas day was tomorrow.

If only he could find something he thought she might like and that wouldn't embarrass him when he gave it to her.

He glanced at the unfamiliar items in the store and sighed. Maybe he should give up and call Keiko's mom.

***Return*To*Halloween*Town***

**S**eventy seconds had been lost due to the mistletoe in the doorway so after receiving the papers from Takahashi, Kaiba decided it would be wiser to not leave his desk for any reason for the rest of the day. He was excelling at this goal for the first twenty minutes after he and Takahashi had gotten stuck and then the kid appeared.

Kaiba was sitting at his desk doing his job when he heard a scream coming from behind his usually soundproof office doors. So what did he do? Jump out from behind his desk and rush towards the door. What did he find? Takahashi sitting on the ground beside her desk staring wide-eyed at a small boy in what appeared to be a one piece devil costume.

Without another look or a word, Kaiba turned and started to walk back towards his office. He was almost at the door when the kid jumped in front of him and blocked the door.

"Hang on. I have a message for you from Jack."

Kaiba shoved the kid out of the way and started to open the door only to have the kid jump in front of him again. Realizing that he wasn't going to get any work done until the kid had said his stupid message, Kaiba took a step back.

"What's the message?"

The kid in the devil costume leaned into a bow. "My name is Lock and the Great Pumpkin King, Jack Skeleton, wants you and a friend to join him at a party in Christmas Town as an apology for the previous experience you suffered in Halloween Town."

"No thanks. I have work to do." To prove his point, he looked over his shoulder to where Takahashi had finally gotten up off the floor. "I need the papers for Ito Inc."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Takahashi move to stand beside him. "Maybe we should go," she said.

Kaiba ignored her and Lock frowned. "But Jack said you should come to the party."

He glared at the little devil. "Should doesn't mean I have to."

"Kaiba, it might be a good idea to get out of the office."

He ignored her again. "I'm not going anywhere so you might as well go back to that asylum and—"

"Damn it Seto!"

Kaiba stared at Takahashi, unwilling to believe she had just referred to him by his first name. Takahashi was silent as she awaited his reaction.

"What did you just call me?"

Takahashi nodded her head. "Since you never seem to listen when I call you Kaiba, I hoped calling you Seto would get you to listen to me."

Kaiba mentally groaned. She was insane, he decided. "You can go but I have work to do."

"Do you recall what happened on the last holiday I walked off without you?"

"What happens to you is not my concern."

"And yeah, as I recall, you used an experimental capsule jet to come help save me."

Kaiba gritted his teeth and glanced towards the boy. Lock appeared to be watching the battle between the two adults with barely controlled impatience and amusement. After a second of thought, Kaiba sighed. He knew he was going to regret this but if Takahashi wanted to be kidnapped so badly, he might as well save himself the trouble and go with her so that he didn't have to travel so far.

***Return*To*Halloween*Town***

**O**kay, now that he was actually at the party, Trunks had to admit, things were so bad. When the little skeleton or jail robber or whatever had told him about the party, Trunks had assumed the worst but he seemed to have been proven wrong. The citizens of Halloween Town were genuinely sorry for the horrible experience that had inflicted on Trunks and the others. When he, Pan, and Hercule (who had refused to remain behind) arrived at Christmas Town they discovered the other guests of honour had already arrived. Naomi was talking with Keiko and Yusuke while Kaiba was having a conversation with none other than Santa Claus. Pan had ran off with her grandfather behind her to talk to the girls and Yusuke. Trunks, however, decided to walk over to where Kaiba and Santa were talking. Before he reached them, a tall skeleton in a black suit blocked his path.

"Welcome to Christmas Town. I'm Jack and I'm so glad that you were able to make it." He held out a bony hand which Trunks shook. The bone man then led Trunks over to where the other victims and rescuers were talking. Everyone paused in their chats as Jack asked for silence. He turned to the group and said, "We've been watching you just to make sure that there weren't any problems after your experience with the good doctor's memory machine."

"And that's not creepy in the least," Trunks heard Yusuke mutter which caused Trunks to try very hard not to laugh.

Jack seemed not to notice as he continued his speech. "While we were watching you we saw the other holiday adventures you all had. Since we didn't want you to think that are always going to be out to get you, we decided to throw this party. Now please enjoy yourselves."

With a nod, Trunks turned to the group. He was a little surprised to see Santa frowning and shaking his head as the skeleton walked away.

"They're all mad. A regular house of lunatics," Santa muttered.

Kaiba nodded. "On that we can agree."

Trunks, however, shrugged. "They might be insane but at least they try to be good."

Santa nodded and a smile appeared on his face. "Speaking of being good, Mr. Trunks Briefs, do you have any idea how many times you and your friend, Goten, barely made the good list?"

Trunks cringed. He had hoped the old saint wouldn't remember.

Naomi smiled as she glanced between the two, a cup of some warm drink in her hands. "Now how did that happen?"

Santa had a sparkle of good humour in his eyes as he watched Trunks squirm. "Well," he said. "Let's just say that fighting isn't the only mischief this boy gets into. How many days did it take you that dye to wash out of your mother's hair by the way?"

Trunks sighed as Naomi and now Keiko glanced at him. "I was five," he said to defend himself. "And how was I supposed to know that it was red ink and not food clothing? They looked the same side by side."

"Actually you were ten," Santa added.

Trunks sighed in defeat as Yusuke patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry. We all have our skeletons in our closets."

Santa glanced at Yusuke with a slight scowl. "As I recall, you assaulted more than one Santa, Yusuke Urameshi."

The look on Yusuke's face was so amusing Trunks couldn't help but laugh. The others were laughing as well and Yusuke was a good sport about it. Only Kaiba seemed out of place as he stood just on the edge of the group. Trunks noticed that the man's blue eyes were focused on Naomi as the girl enjoyed the party. A mischievous thought popped into Trunks' mind but a disapproving look from Santa (who apparently could read minds) halted any plans the man had considered creating. Well if anything 'interesting' happened at the party, it wasn't because of him, Trunks thought as he sipped some punch. He had a feeling that he was just barely making the good list as it was and he didn't really want to lose that for a short moment of amusement… Although it would be **very** amusing. He would be lucky if Kaiba only considered breaking the deal between Kaiba Corps and Capsule Corps. However… A smirk threatened to appear on his face and he coughed to cover it. It would be very amusing and potentially make things better for the greater good of people who had to work with Kaiba.

Santa sent Trunks another glance and Trunks gave him his wide, blue-eyed boy look that said 'what did I do?' If Santa had any clue what was happening behind those blue eyes (and he probably did, Trunks reminded himself), he probably would have dragged Trunks off for a talk. However, Santa was busy talking to Hercule so Trunks grew more and more attached to his idea. Finally he had reached a decision.

To hell with the good list, he was going to help the greater good!

If anyone noticed the slight change in Trunks' attitude, they didn't let on. However, as the party wore on, he worked all his boyish charm on Naomi and watched for Kaiba's reaction. This was going to be amusing, Trunks thought.

***Return*To*Halloween*Town***

**N**ever would Yusuke have imagined being invited to a party by the town's people of Halloween Town. The last time he had visited the town he had made it perfectly clear that it didn't matter that everyone was dead. If Keiko was hurt, he was going to kill them all over again.

However, the little witch that insisted that Yusuke join Keiko at the party and Keiko had been determined to go so he here was. At the party in Christmas Town. Watching elves and ghouls dance to some holiday jingle. Sipping gingerbread flavoured coffee. If Rudolph started a conga line, he was going to check his blood for drugs.

Keiko was at his side, apparently having a good time. She laughed at something Santa had said and then turned to talk to Takahashi about something. Although it was rather cold in Christmas Town they were all able to wear a light coat and be perfectly comfortable. Yusuke reached into the pocket of his coat to make sure that the small box was still there. It was and Yusuke found himself questioning his choice. It may not be the best gift ever but he had tried. Plus it was the thought that counted right? Well he had spent at least two hours today alone thinking and staring at all the freaking girly gifts in all the freaking girly stores before picking it. Besides, girls liked shiny things right?

He hoped so because that little box was the only ring he could afford. Yusuke sighed again as he looked around. Kaiba was glaring at Trunks for some reason and come to think of it, so was Santa. The teen hid a smile as he sipped some of his drink and felt the warmth spread throughout him. Looks like Trunks wasn't going to make the good list after all, he thought as he reached into his pocket again.

Still there. Was he actually going to do it? His stomach, just warmed by the drink, became chilled as he thought about what he had originally planned. He had proposed to her a couple times before. Usually he did it just to get out of trouble and he never did it with a ring. The first and serious proposal he gave her was just before he left for Demon World. That was four years ago. Now he was determined to do it properly with a ring and everything. His body temperature dropped another few degrees. At least, that was what he had planned on doing. That was before the whole party at Christmas Town and he wasn't sure he wanted to propose in front of all these people… and things.

He sighed and took another sip of his drink. What he wouldn't give for some liquid courage right now and as stupid as it was, he was actually worried that Keiko might say no. After all, with a normal boyfriend she wouldn't have to worry about him leaving and never coming back or being kidnapped to be used as leverage or anything. The more he thought about it, the more he was sure she was going to say no. Thankfully before all his courage disappeared, a distraction presented itself.

He heard Keiko sigh and frowned at her. She then pointed to where Trunks and Takahashi were standing.

"Looks like his plan backfired," she said.

Yusuke frowned when he noticed how uncomfortable Trunks looked. Then Yusuke noticed how Kaiba's glare had intensified and the mistletoe hanging over Takahashi's and Trunks' heads. He took another sip of his drink. "Don't know why he looks so upset. He could take Kaiba any day."

Keiko shook her head and half-heartedly glared at him. "You're really dense, aren't you, Yusuke?"

"Huh?"

"Trunks isn't interested in Naomi. He's just trying to force Kaiba into making a move."

"Could have fooled me." Yusuke took another sip of his drink. "Wait? Kaiba's into Takahashi?"

Keiko sighed. "Yes, Yusuke. Kaiba likes Takahashi."

"And that boy is playing with forces he doesn't understand," Santa added as he stood beside the couple. Like Kaiba, Santa had a frown on his face that was directed towards Trunks.

Keiko nodded in agreement and Yusuke felt himself getting rather annoyed. Would it kill them to fill him in before they retreated to their thoughts? So Kaiba liked Takahashi and Trunks was trying to force him into a move by making him jealous? So what? Takahashi still liked Kaiba… or did she?

Yusuke's eyes widened as he glanced back towards where Trunks was almost desperately looking for a way out. Takahashi hadn't noticed the mistletoe yet but Trunks did and it was clear, whatever he had planned, this wasn't part of it.

So that was what Santa and Keiko were so worried about? That Takahashi would fall for Trunks instead? He thought it was Eros' job to worry about couples.

Yusuke started to take another sip of his drink only to realize that he had none left. He glared at the cup as if it was its fault that his drink was all gone. With a shrug, he went to get some more of the almost addictive drink.

He could see why Keiko and Santa were worried but in his mind, there was a very easy way to fix this problem. Lifting his hand, Yusuke pointed his finger at the object hanging above Trunks' and Takahashi's heads. He concentrated his spirit energy until the finger started glowing. Then he pulled the trigger in his mind. A second later, the mistletoe was ash and Trunks and Takahashi were staring at him. Takahashi in confusion. Trunks like he wanted to hug him but thought better of it. He grinned at them and went to get his drink. As long as they didn't ask him any questions, he wouldn't have to tell any lies.

When he returned to Keiko and Santa with his precious drink, Kaiba, Trunks, and Takahashi had also joined the group. However, the group wasn't together for long. When Yusuke rejoined the group, Santa and Keiko pulled Trunks and Kaiba off for a private chat. No doubt to try to repair any damage to Kaiba's mental state that Trunks had caused.

Happy to leave them to it, Yusuke sipped his lovely drink and listened to Hercule go on about his glory days to Takahashi while Pan rolled her eyes.

All in all, it was a fun party and Yusuke was enjoying himself. Maybe the holidays weren't actually out to get them. Maybe it was all over and he could propose to Keiko and all would go well. He sipped some more of the drink. Damn, he needed to get the recipe for this! He started to turn to ask one of the elves how to make the drink when a shadow flew over the town. A large shape appeared beside Santa, Keiko, Trunks, and Kaiba. A second later they disappeared.

Within an instance, Yusuke mood went from happy high to murderous low.

It looked like he had thought too soon.

***Return*To*Halloween*Town***

She stared at the place where seconds before Santa, Trunks, Keiko, and her boss had been standing. Once the shock wore off Naomi sighed. Great, now her boss was missing. Again. She glanced around to see everyone's reactions. Yusuke seemed to be working his way towards an early grave due to a heart problem as his face turned red with anger. Pan seemed to be in the same state of mind as Takahashi. The younger girl just sighed and looked around. The girl's grandfather was merely staring at the spot where Santa had been moments before with a slack jaw. Their host, the skeleton man named Jack, stared at the place where his guests and Santa had been standing a moment before. His empty eye sockets seemed wide with surprise.

"I thought he was dead," he muttered.

"You're all already dead!" shouted Yusuke as he exploded. "Now where is Keiko!"

Jack seemed to look upon Yusuke with pity. "I'm afraid the Oogie Boogie Man has captured them."

Hercule's eyes widened. "You mean that mess of bugs in a pillowcase?"

"The very same. No doubt he had taken your friends and Sandy Claws to a sinister hidden location."

Pan gulped. "And what will he do to them?"

"Eat them."

Yusuke was the first to react. His face had returned to its original colour but his narrowed eyes were sparkling with anger. "Any idea where that location might be?"

Jack nodded. "The cave under the Oogie's Boys tree house."

Naomi frowned. "Alright. Then that's where we're going."

Hercule became very pale. "Wait. What about Christmas? It's almost time for Santa to start delivering presents."

She nodded. "While Yusuke, Pan, and I go to rescue Santa and the others you can start delivering presents."

The old man's jaw was once more slack. "You sure?"

Jack nodded. "Yes. You are about the right size and I'm sure the reindeer know what to do."

"Of course they do," said one of the elves.

She nodded. "Then we'd better get going. There's no telling how long we have before Oogie decides to just eat them."

Without another word, the mostly human trio started to walk towards Halloween Town with their mission firm in mind. This was the last time, Naomi decided as she walked with Pan and Yusuke. This was the last time that a holiday would get the better of them and Oogie would serve as an example.

***Return*To*Halloween*Town***

**S**ince Kaiba had never seen the movie 'The Nightmare Before Christmas', his first impressions of his capturer was that it looked like a child's attempt to turn a pillowcase into a stuffed ghost doll. To say that Kaiba was impressed would be a lie. To say that he was distracted by events not related to being kidnapped again would be the truth.

From what he could tell this pillowcase wasn't anything to worry about so he didn't worry. After all, with no claws, fangs, or weapons it was just a mass of cloth. He had seen Kuribohs more dangerous so rather than give the doll undue attention, Kaiba instead focused his attention on the area he found himself trapped in.

Dark and drafty were about the only polite things he could say about it. The doors were bars and there was an open skylight (also barred). In the middle of the room was a fire pit or a pot of some sort with stone fangs surrounding the rim and a chandelier above that. Part of the wall appeared to be removable but before Kaiba could fully devote himself to the matter of escape he was sidetracked.

Kaiba prided himself on his focus and ability to keep a clear mind under pressure but there are some thoughts that refuse to obey the keep out sign on the door. The thought that currently knocked down the door was caused by spotting a certain purple-haired man among the kidnapped. Actually it wasn't even really a thought, more a feeling that he tried to block from his mind by looking around once again but the feeling refused to leave and thoughts joined it now.

He knew little to nothing about Takahashi's social life outside of work and he knew he knew nothing of Trunks' life outside the business world but still! Didn't Takahashi learn from her last failed long-distance relationship that they don't work? Or was she just a glutton for punishment? Not that he was exactly a candidate given that he was her boss but still. As a concerned friend- No. As a concerned employer who was worried about how her work ethic would crash under another failed relationship, he was worried for her.

He shook his head to put a stop to those thoughts. Concerned employer or friend or whatever, she could date whoever she wanted. Trunks could go after any girl he wanted. And once again, he shouldn't even give a damn. The trouble was he did. A lot.

"You okay?"

Glancing towards the speaker, he saw Keiko looking down on him with a hand outstretched. "I'm fine," he replied as he stood up without her aid.

The pillowcase in the far corner started to laugh. "You won't be for long."

Although it probably was misplaced aggression, Kaiba turned and gave the pillowcase his very best and deadliest Blue Eyed Glare. He smirked when the pillowcase twitched and turned its attention towards the other victims. The pillowcase passed over Keiko and Trunks and focused on Santa.

"Well, well, what have we here? Santa Claus back again?"

The old saint also glared at the being. "You would know as you kidnapped us."

The pillowcase grinned, causing worms to wave as if they were his teeth. Keiko twitched and took a step back, not that Kaiba could blame her. However, he kept his attention focused on the being before him.

"Why just walk in and say "Oogie's back" when you can kidnap someone and make a bigger entrance?"

Kaiba frowned when he saw his shadow appear before him. He felt the air suddenly become charged with static and the wind that swirled around the room. It looked like Trunks wasn't waiting for the banter to end. When the man appeared beside him with teal eyes and blonde hair, Kaiba wasn't surprised. Nor was he surprised when the man's voice held a promise of pain for the bug.

"Sorry clown but the joke is over. Let us go and we won't have to hurt you."

Unsurprisingly, Oogie didn't take the threat seriously. The pillowcase actually started laughing. "Looks like the joke is on you. What if I told you that your friends followed us here and will soon be trapped in their worst fears?"

Kaiba shook his head and crossed his arms. "You must be horrible at poker."

"Don't believe me? Take a look." To the group's left the far wall changed colour and became almost like a television screen. On it was Pan, Yusuke, and Takahashi. Kaiba's eyes widened a touch when he spotted them talking to a pillowcase, which looked identical to the one standing before them. Sound came from somewhere in the walls and the group listened as the look-a-like announced a challenge.

"I'll show you three your worst fears and if you beat me then you can come to my house and try to save our friends."

There was no hesitation on the part of the rescue team. And with a sick grin on his face, the pillowcase reached forward and touched them each on the forehead. They fell to the ground unconscious and the screen went black.

"While they are facing their worst fears they'll be completely defensiveness," Oogie explained. "We wouldn't want anything to happen to them right?" After a pause, he added. "Plus you can kill me as many times as you want and I'll always come back so why don't we play some games?"

"He's bluffing," Santa muttered.

Keiko, however, shook her head. "In the movie all his bugs but one fell into a boiling pot and he survived that."

Kaiba frowned. "What happened to the one?"

"Santa stepped on it. Besides he has the others."

The man in red nodded and Kaiba glanced back at the pillowcase. So the monster wanted to play a game? A smirk spread on his face. He could do that. However the rest of his group weren't as ready to play.

Trunks' hair returned to its purple hue as the man said, "Why should we? If we wait long enough, the others will beat you."

Oogie started to laugh again. "Because if you don't, you forfeit and die."

The smirk on Kaiba's face grew. The monster really had no idea who he was dealing with. "Fine," he replied. "But if we win, you die."

The boogie nodded and the area was suddenly filled with light.

"Game Start," Kaiba announced.

***Return*To*Halloween*Town***

Even if little girls were afraid of the dark, Pan wasn't a little girl anymore. In fact it was an insult to her womanly pride for that jerk to think that being alone in the dark would scare her.

Cupping her hands around her mouth, she shouted at the top of her lungs into the darkness that surrounded her. "Hey, you jerk! I don't scare easy so if you think this will work you have another thing coming!"

The evil laugh that echoed through the darkness only further annoyed her.

"Hey! You'd better get out here before I show you something really scary!"

The laugh continued but eventually died to a chuckle as the being replied, "Very well."

From the darkness came a young man in an elf costume. His hair was purple and eyes were blue. Pan didn't even bat an eyelash as she punched the being in the stomach.

"Strike two," she said as she jumped back. "I've already seen Trunks possessed by a freak so that won't work!"

The being wearing Trunks' face grinned as he wiped blood from its lip. Clearly this thing lacked all of Trunks' saiyan power.

"Perhaps I underestimated you. Very well." The being's eyes glowed red. "I'll give you a real nightmare then."

Pan leaned into a defensive crouch and watched as the being stood. A red glow that had started at its eyes slowly spread through its whole body. It lost its Trunks-like mask and became a glowing silhouette. Pan clutched her fists tighter. She wasn't afraid. She could handle anything the jerk could throw at her. Especially since he couldn't replicate the power of saiyans. The glow around the being continued to grow until it was too intense to look at. Pan shielded her eyes as she called out, "I'm not scared of red light either!"

"Perhaps you should be," said the shadow before the light suddenly died. Leaving Pan in darkness again.

"Come back you coward!"

"Pan?"

The girl paused and turned as her ears recognized the voice. "Papa?"

Above her there was the sound of moving metal and light suddenly shone down on her. As Pan's eyes adapted to the light, she recognized the spiky black hair and glasses. She quickly flew up to meet the man and climbed out of the darkness. She saw that it was actually a snow covered well by her home and she shivered as a cold wind whipped some snowflakes into her face. Her father (the man with glasses) smiled at her.

"Don't tell me you were looking for Halloween Town again. I thought you were too old for movies like that."

Pan pouted as she recalled her three-year old self's obsession with finding Halloween Town after watching 'The Nightmare before Christmas.'

'How would Dad react if he knew there was actually a place?' Pan wondered before recalling what had just taken place. Instantly she was on her guard. The scare could come from anywhere now.

Her dad tilted his head to the side as Pan leaned into a defensive position "Pan? You okay?"

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. Was this actually her father? Could she trust him?

She quickly threw a punch at him which he easily blocked. The confused look became slightly annoyed. "Pan, what's going on?"

She nodded, now satisfied. This guy was the real deal. "Trunks had been kidnapped," she announced. "Again," she added as an afterthought.

Her dad stared at her for a few seconds as another voice said, "Well I'm back now."

Pan turned and found the very person she had been trying to rescue suddenly standing behind her.

"Trunks! How did you escape?"

The purple-haired man smiled. "How else? I used my head."

Pan nodded. That would make sense and that meant the shadow ran off after witnessing just how awesome she was.

Behind her, her father stepped forward. "What happened while you two were shopping?"

Trunks smiled. "It's a long story."

"It's a good thing that dinner is almost ready. You can fill me in while Pan and the girls get it ready."

The girl in question frowned. Before she could object, her dad shooed her off towards the house and the kitchen. Inside her mom was working with her grandmother on dinner. The two older women quickly gave Pan the job of stirring the soup. As she stood on the stool by the stove and stirred, Pan groaned at the unfairness of life. She also went to Halloween Town so why did Trunks get to tell the story alone? It wasn't fair, All he probably did was sit in a room and fight his kidnapper. She, on the other hand, had to fight her worst fear… Although it never actually appeared since the shadow was unable to guess it.

The soup looked ready so Pan took a sip to taste it as she had seen her mother do many times before. She instantly stuck out her tongue. What was the soup of made? Gym socks? Quickly, Pan looked around for anything that would make the food taste like food. Her eyes fell on the salt and pepper shakers. Those made everything taste better, right? She grabbed the shakers and dumped all of their contents into the soup. She stirred for a moment longer before tasting it again. She grinned as the taste travelled over her tongue. Much better.

'_Just wait until Mama and Papa see what a good cook I am_,' Pan thought as she kept stirring.

Finally, it was time to dish out the food and place it on the table. Pan sat straight at the table with a huge grin on her face as everyone started to eat. She waited for them to say how good the soup was. Her grin disappeared as something far worse happened. It started at the head of the table where her grandma was sitting. A look of pain crossed the other woman's face as she clutched her stomach. Pan's father and uncle who were sitting on either side of her rushed to her, demanding to know if she was okay.

Then Pan's mom who was on Pan's dad's other side started clutching her stomach. Pan placed a hand on her mother's arm. Trunks moved around the table to stand beside Pan's mom. He carefully looked the woman over before turning to Pan's father.

"We'd better get them to a hospital."

Her father and uncle nodded and stood. However, her uncle crashed to the floor upon moving from his mother's side. His arms wrapped around his stomach. Both Pan's grandmother and mother were a sickly yellow colour now. Her father knelt beside her uncle before he also collapsed. Trunks lasted a second longer before falling.

Pan jumped out of her seat and looked around for a hint of what to do. Her eyes fell on the telephone in the kitchen. She ran over to it and dialled 911. The lady on the other end told her to get them to throw up and drink lots of water and that help would be there in half an hour. Pan rushed to the sink and filled as many glasses as she could carry. She flew back to the dining room to see that her mom and grandmother had fallen to the floor. Her hands were shaking as she tried to get her mom to drink. The lady's eyes were closed in pain and she seemed not to hear.

Pan then felt something other than fear in her stomach. She clutched her stomach as she knelt on the floor beside her mother. Tears were coming to her eyes. What was going on? The pain started to spread through her body. Pan felt the temptation to black out. However, she also felt her right arm being tugged away from her stomach. She stiffened her will and tried to keep her arm at her side but it moved against her will. Her hand opened so that her palm was pointing at her mother's body. Her hand started to glow yellow with chi. She willed her arm to move and point away but it wouldn't move. A ball of energy was forming in front of her hand.

To her left, her father was struggling to stand. "Fight it Pan!" he shouted.

"I'm trying!" She gripped her right hand with her left. Even with all her quarter saiyan strength willed towards moving her right arm. It moved but not the way she wanted. The blast escaped her grasp when her hand was pointing at her father. His eyes were wide as he crashed through a wall.

Her uncle was the next to fall to her power. Tears were coming from her eyes as she felt his chi disappear. Her body forced her to turn to face her mother once more. Behind her she heard Trunks struggle to his feet.

"Don't do it, Pan! You can still fight this thing!"

Her hand started to glow again and Pan tried to regain power over her actions.

"You're stronger than this, Pan!" she told herself. "You're… stronger… than this."

Her right arm was shaking as her will battled against whatever was controlling her. The energy ball started to flicker.

"Come on," she heard Trunks mutter. "Concentrate."

Pan nodded as she gripped her right hand with her left. She was stronger than this. She could beat anything that was controlling her. She was going to save her family and wish back her uncle. She was a warrior!

"But there are no longer any dragon balls," a voice in her head whispered. "And you aren't strong enough."

Fear twisted her stomach and her mouth became dry. Her energy started flowing into her hand again.

"You need to focus, Pan! Concentrate!"

She gritted her teeth as she tried to control her energy but the voice kept talking in her head.

"You're only a quarter. If a half-saiyan who had to become a super saiyan to escape being controlled, how can you win?"

A ball was forming in her hand.

"You're nothing. Less than nothing, little girl. And now your family will die because of it."

Pan glared at the wall behind her mother's body. Two new emotions swept into her body to join with her fear. Anger and grief. She focused on the voice in her head. Directing all the anger and guilt she had towards it as she ball of chi in her hand kept glowing.

"I'm…"

A wind started to swirl around her and the air was filled with static. Her chi was quickly drawn into her.

"Not…"

Her eyes flickered from brown to teal and her hair rose around her head.

"Nothing!"

***Return*To*Halloween*Town***

**G**ritting his teeth, Trunks watched as Oogie started chanting to himself some song about how 'scared they should be.' On a scale of 1-10 for his least favourite thing, Trunks ranked being forcibly kidnapped an 11. The only thing that ranked higher was being tricked into being kidnapped which was granted a 12. However being forced into a stupid gamble for life and death was started to climb higher through the ranks. First and foremost, Trunks was a fighter. He didn't waste time in casinos because he had better things to do. Santa was also frowning, no doubt because he had already faced this once and wasn't happy to be back. Keiko was staring at the options for games with a terrified look in her eyes but a determined frown on her face. Only Kaiba seemed comfortable, heck even amused at Oogie's plan.

Glancing at the other man, Trunks had to wonder how Kaiba could be so calm. It was bad enough they were stuck playing games while the others were fighting beings in their minds but the fact they were physically vulnerable was what was eating at Trunks. He was a fighter. To be physically vulnerable was about one of the worst things you could be. Trunks glared at the choices before him as he considered his choice. However, if he could be, he would rather be vulnerable than gamble his life on a game of chance. Especially one where the Oogie was calling the shots.

Scanning the list for something he could do, he hoped the others beat their fears soon. The sooner they were able to fight back, the sooner the games could be over.

***Return*To*Halloween*Town***

**R**eally? This was what the big bad Oogie Boogie Man thought was his worst fear? Kuwabara might be scared of giant spiders but Yusuke wasn't.

Not even bothering to collect his spirit energy, Yusuke started to walk forward, punching and killing any creepy crawling thing that got in his way. Soon the floor was littered with dead spiders. When no more spiders appeared in his way, Yusuke shook his fist to get rid of the spider guts. The teen glanced around the area again looking for signs of his worst fear. When it didn't appear, he started to get annoyed. Cupping his hands around his mouth he shouted into the darkness.

"Hey! Your spiders are all dead so does that mean I've won or you need to make more minions to hide behind?"

There was no answer from the darkness. However a loud beep echoed through the darkness causing Yusuke to jump a little. After his initial scare, he looked around for the source of the noise. He finally found it on his wrist. He stared down at the watch in confusion because that was what it was. His demon finder watch compass thing that Botan had given him a few years ago. He frowned down at it. Last he recalled he had broken that thing looking for Rando. However it appeared to be working as it pointed towards the left. Since he didn't really have anything better to do, Yusuke followed the watch's directions. With luck it would lead him to the creep who took Keiko.

After a few miles the darkness started to recede. In front of him a warehouse appeared. A familiar warehouse. Yusuke swallowed as he stared at the familiar red walls. It looked a lot like the place where Hiei had taken Keiko when the midget had stolen the Conjuring Blade and used her as bait. Yusuke felt himself freeze when he felt Hiei's spirit energy rush towards him from the warehouse. What was going on? Without a thought towards his safety or a plan, Yusuke rushed in and kick the door down. Inside was a group of brainwashed humans. The first time, Yusuke merely punched them out of the way. This time he just walked towards them. Under the weight of his glare and fierce aura, the humans backed away.

"Hm. It looks like you aren't all talk, detective."

The glare remained on his face as he looked up towards the top of a pile of crates. Standing there was a boy dressed in black with black hair and red eyes.

"Hiei," Yusuke said as he looked around again. "If Oogie thinks you are my worst fear, then he needs his head fixed."

The demon laughed. "Oh. I'm not your worst fear." He pointed behind Yusuke causing the teen to turn around. Yusuke felt like he had just been dropped into a tank of cold water as the girl stepped into the light. Three red eyes stared into his brown ones and fangs gleamed in her mouth. What had Botan said back then? If the third eye opened, Keiko would be a demon forever?

He could hear Hiei laughing behind him but he could only stare at Keiko. Then his wide eyes narrowed and his slack jaw tightened into a determined scowl. Well, Oogie promised his worst fear. Now he just had to beat it.

***Return*To*Halloween*Town***

**E**ven though they had won the last few games, Keiko still felt uneasy. She wasn't sure if it was because of the grin on Oogie's face or the smirk on Kaiba's. She, like everyone else in Japan, had heard of the amusement park created by Kaiba Corporation that was called Death-T and how it was quickly closed after a tournament had gone awry and sent seven people to the hospital. Keiko had also heard the rumours (through Yusuke) that Death-T was created/designed by Seto Kaiba in an attempt to kill someone. And she had also heard of how Kaiba Corps's last duellist tournament, Battle City, had sent four people into short-term comas during the semifinals. Normally games were just for fun but around Kaiba, the rumours whispered, things became deadly. Normally Keiko wouldn't listen to such rumours but as she, Trunks, Santa, and Kaiba found themselves playing for their lives, she had to wonder.

Finally the games came to an end with them the victor. However, as expected of Oogie, they were not set free. Instead they were thrown into a cell. Nothing could be seen or heard outside it. Inwardly, Keiko was fuming at the stupid pillowcase. They had won his stupid game so he was supposed to let them go. That was the deal! But instead he threw them into a hidden cell and went to trap their friends. Keiko resisted the urge to groan in anger. Just who did that Oogie think he was? She hoped Yusuke gave him something to think about for the next 2-3 weeks while the bruises healed.

Seeking to calm herself, Keiko glanced around at the rest of the group. Kaiba seemed just as ticked as she was and wasn't trying to hide it as he looked around the cell for some hint of a door so that Trunks could break it down.

Trunks, meanwhile was trying to convince Kaiba to use his chi which apparently might be able to find the door for them. (Keiko had heard Trunks mention that Kaiba had an unusually chi, almost more like an aura of darkness that appeared when the man was angry or defensive.) Although Keiko couldn't see it, she was pretty sure that Kaiba was covered in the aura if it truly appeared when he was angry. However, Trunks was surprisingly calm giving that he had been muttering curses seconds before. Santa had spoken to him, though, and if Keiko had to bet that was the reason for his calmness.

Finally, there was Santa who had moved to join Keiko in one of the corners of the cell. He sat down with a jolly grin on his face.

"Looks like we're in for a little Christmas magic," he said.

***Return*To*Halloween*Town***

**E**vil laughter was the last thing Takahashi heard before the floor opened up and she found herself falling through the darkness. The Boogie had said that they were going to face their worst fear but she wondered if he meant she would be facing her own fear or Pan's or Yusuke's. Despite being unable to fly or come back from the dead like Pan or Yusuke, Takahashi wasn't the least bit afraid as a wind kicked her hair away from her face as she fell faster and faster. When she had been younger, she had been deathly afraid of heights but after facing far worse things at her jobs, she realized it was a silly fear and overcame it. As for her current situation, she was content to sit tight and see if she was going to hit the floor or not. Actually, judging by how she hadn't hit it yet and there was nothing but darkness around her, there probably wasn't a floor.

Takahashi sighed. Just her luck. She had been given a fear that there was no tangible way to fight. It wasn't like battling your fear of the dark or spiders where you could turn on a light or kill the spiders. The only way to beat the fear of falling was to stop falling which she couldn't.

She sighed again. It looked like she was going to be bored for the next little while. She glanced around again and closed her eyes. Perhaps it wasn't the best time to take a nap but since she didn't/couldn't do anything, she figured she might as well get some rest.

Within seconds, Takahashi was asleep and unaware of her worst fear disappearing and her senses becoming aware of the real world around her.

***Return*To*Halloween*Town***

**T**o say that Pan was a little annoyed would be an understatement. To say that Pan was a little angry would be a bigger understatement. To say that Pan wouldn't rip off the Oogie's legs and put them on his head before ripping off said head, was a lie. Pan was more than annoyed and angry. She was furious! And the Oogie was going to learn that he wouldn't like playing with Pan when she was angry.

After beating her worst fear (and becoming a Super Saiyan in the process) she awoke in the middle of a field. To her right, Yusuke twitched and awoke. To her left, Takahashi was peacefully sleeping. However, that didn't last very long as Yusuke reached over and started to shake her. Pan was starting to stop him when the woman's head just wobbled on her neck. Before she could, Takahashi opened her eyes. The woman let out a yawn and without another word, the three were off.

With a well-placed kick from Yusuke, the door to Oogie's lair collapsed. Pan's teal eyes scanned the area for the soon to be shredded pillowcase. She found him over by the cowboy slot machines. A wind rushed around her as her anger grew. With a shout of rage, she charged. A hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back as bullets flew from the slot machine cowboys. The sound of ricocheting bullets echoed in the small space for a moment. When they faded they were replaced with the sounds of Oogie's laugher. Pan pulled her arm away from the hand (which belonged to Yusuke) and glared at the pillowcase.

"I'm** so** scared," he said with another chuckle.

"You should be," Yusuke replied. "We beat our fears so return our friends."

Oogie shook his head causing Pan to want to throw a chi ball right at his stupid head. "I said you had to beat your fears and then you could try to rescue your friends."

Pan tried to pull away from Yusuke but the man must have superpowers or something because as much as she tried to fly, she was still stuck. Since she was unable to beat the ghost to a pulp, she settled for shouting at him. "Fine! We can take you!"

This sent Oogie into another fit of laughter. Pan attempted to get Yusuke to let go by kicking him in the shin but the man had a high level of pain tolerance. She refocused her attention on the Oogie as he started to explain the rules of his 'game.'

***Return*To*Halloween*Town***

**I**nstead of rushing Oogie like he desperately wanted to, Yusuke sat back and tried to use his head. His mind went back to a bit of advice spoken to him by his old master. The basic just of the advice the old hag had said was if he used that lump that was three feet up from his ass he wouldn't get captured or potentially die. As Yusuke watched Oogie's game continued, he decided that was wise advice. From the little he recalled from the movie, Oogie wasn't known for playing by the rules and if they didn't watch him, he would cheat his way to victory. Too bad there wasn't some weird magic that would punish Oogie for cheating at his own game.

Yusuke shook his head. Wishing for an easier ride hadn't helped him win the Dark Tournament and it wasn't going to help him here. The only way to win was to focus and not give the pillowcase any chances.

Thankfully, Takahashi had been lucky when it came to exploding roulette and Pan was rocking the cowboy slot machines. He was next and if Oogie was going to cheat it would be now. Especially since somehow he had tricked them into agreeing that they had to beat all three games before they could beat him to a pulp and then save their friends. Yusuke's eyes narrowed as he watched Pan dodge the bullets flying at her in order to pull the lever to spin the slots. Behind him Takahashi gasped when one bullet just missed the now blonde girl. Yusuke, however, just patted her on the arm and gave her an encouraging smile. He had seen a Super Saiyan in action and if Pan was anything like Goten, she could beat this game cold. A few more pulls later Pan had won. Finally, it was his turn.

He waited until Pan had landed beside him and Takahashi before stepping forward. "Alright," he said as he cracked his knuckles. "What's next now? A game of poke-your-eye poker? Dynamite domino?"

Oogie smiled as he held up Yusuke's salvation. Coins for a Pachinko machine. It looked like another one of his vices had turned out to be useful.

***Return*To*Halloween*Town***

**N**ow Keiko could see why Santa had been so happy. Although at first she had wanted to scream when Yusuke and a blonde Pan had kicked down the door, she was more than happy to hug him when she realized who had nearly murdered her with a door. (Thankfully Santa was able to move them all from the doorway.)

Within seconds she was safely in Yusuke's arms. It was because she was holding him so tightly that she felt a box in his pocket stabbing into her torso. She pulled back and was about to ask him about it, when Yusuke did something she never expected. He got down on one knee and reached into his pocket.

"Yusuke? What's going-?" Her voice died in her throat when she saw the look in his eye.

The man inhaled and closed his eyes before looking back up at her. "I know we've done this before but I thought we should make it official with a ring." He opened the box and she saw the small ring sitting inside. "Keiko, will you marry me?"

Her answer was so heartfelt and happy that she didn't even hear Santa say, "Now let's get back to Christmas Town."

***Return*To*Halloween*Town***

**G**ratitude filled the square of Christmas Town as the little elves rushed to hug their boss. Moments later the sounds of jingle bells drifted down from the sky as a sled pulled by nine reindeer appeared silhouetted against the moon. Seconds later the same sled was motionless on the snow-covered ground and Hercule tumbled out of the sled and onto the ground.

With a smile, Trunks watched as Santa thanked the balding man with Pan by his side. She was busy filling him in on what had happened while he and the other kidnapped where playing with Oogie and then locked in the cell. For the fifth time today, Pan transformed into a Super Saiyan just to prove that she could. It should have been annoying but Trunks was too happy to care. That pillowcase was gone for good. A grin remained on his face as he stretched. Oogie had been defeated. Kaiba was jealous and about to make a move on Naomi. Pan could go Super. Everything was perfect. (Except, debatably, for Pan going Super.) Nothing could ruin Trunks' good mood. For once, everything had turned out alright and was going to stay that way.

***Return*To*Halloween*Town***

**S**ince returning to Christmas Town, Kaiba had carefully avoided Takahashi. He convinced himself that he just neeed time to think and reconsider what he was about to do.

One of the trials he had crossed to save Takahashi when she had been kidnapped by Eros was to fight Pharaoh Seth, his supposed past-self. The pharaoh had demanded Kaiba pick between the Blue Eyes White Dragon, his duty, and Takahashi, supposed cheap amusement. Well he had decided and the corpse was probably rolling in some forgotten tomb at the moment.

Takahashi had finished her conversation with Pan and Keiko and turned to face him as he walked towards her. Her face was slightly flushed from her travels but she smiled brightly at him. He felt his stomach twist uncomfortably as he came to stand beside her.

"So," she said. "I guess this means we're even again?"

He nodded and started to speak. "Takahashi, I…" Words that were to follow caught in his throat like some twisted traffic jam. Why were those three simple words so hard to say? Especially now? No one was close enough to hear and even if they were, no one was paying any attention to them. All he had to do was say it.

Takahashi's smile dimmed as she waited for him to speak.

He inhaled and tried again.

"Takahashi, you're fired."

**A/N: This is the official 4th story in the Holiday Series. The others are mentioned here but as I did a quick recap I didn't feel it was necessary to go back and read the other three. However if you are interested they are the stories with Holid# in the summary. The number that follows is the place in the series. There are two 4s because one is the official 4th and one is the unofficial one.**

**Note: This will probably be redone at some point to make it better.**

**-D101**

**P.S I completely forgot about this until a few days before Christmas. That's why it is late… and maybe because it was a little more fun to write angry daddy Trunks (Wright and Wong) vs laid back single Trunks (Holiday Trials).**


End file.
